B. J. Palmer
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Bartlett Joshua (B.J.) Palmer (September 10, 1881 - May 21, 1961) was a pioneer of Chiropractic.
[edit] Early life
B.J. was son of Daniel David Palmer (or "D.D."), the "Founder" of chiropractic. The Palmer family of six resided in the back of a grocery store that D.D. operated. In 1885 D.D.'s wife became sick and died, after which D.D. remarried numerous times. When D.D. had settled with a new wife, he moved the family to Letts, Iowa, and he worked as a schoolteacher and a magnetic healer, developing chiropractic. D.D.'s first so-called patient was a janitor in his office building. His name was Harvey Lillard, and was deaf in one ear. After a series of adjustments, the janitor was able to hear again; thus the birth of Chiropractic. B.J. developed an interest in chiropractic, and eventually assumed control of the school that his father had founded in Davenport, Iowa. As a result of his development and promotion of the profession, he became known as the "Developer" of chiropractic.
[edit] Later life
On May 30, 1904, Palmer married Mabel Heath, and they both worked as chiropractors and professors at Palmer College. B.J. Palmer ran his research clinics in Davenport, IA. for 16 years having great success developing his "Upper Cervical" Adjusting Technique via the Toggle Recoil application. This technique was done with the patient in a knee-chest position, patients head turned either to the right or the left, a pisaform contact to the posterior arch of C1 or spinous process of C2. This is the original Upper Cervical Technique and not the Drop Headpiece and side posture position that Chiropractors are taught today. He was able to prove the Subluxation Complex of C1 and C2 via the "Pattern Analysis". This would allow the Doctor of Chiropractic to know the correct time to adjust a patient. With X-ray interpretation, the Chiropractor now knows the correct time and the correct place to adjust a subluxated patient. Palmer was on the cutting edge of x-ray development with, at the time, some of the best x-ray equipment being developed at the Palmer School in Davenport, Iowa. On December 12, 1906 David Daniel Palmer was born, and would be the couple's only child. In keeping with his educational efforts for the profession, he became known as "The Educator."[1]
Palmer also became involved in a number of technological advances in his region of Iowa. He owned the first automobile in the area, and he would use it when he made house calls. In 1922, Palmer purchased a local radio station, WOC (whose call letters stood for "Wonders Of Chiropractic"), and began using it to market chiropractic, as well as to broadcast farm, sports and weather reports. Ronald Reagan, former President of the United States and Actor, was given his first broadcast job by Dr. Palmer to broadcast sports for WOC. A second station in Des Moines, WHO, ("With Hands Only") was purchased in 1930. Television stations were later added under the same call letters.
